The present invention relates to shelf brackets and, more particularly, to brackets to be used in association with alterable display panels for the holding of glass shelves.
In merchandise display panels a back panel is typically provided with a surface to which various display fixtures can be attached. One example of such panels is that referred to as "pegboard". Pegboard panels have a regular horizontal and vertical pattern of holes therethrough into which various wire-based fixtures can be attached. Another type of panel is that sold by the assignee of this application under the trade name UNIWEB. These panels have horizontal gripping ridges at regular intervals to which fixtures can be securely hooked.
Particularly in commercial displays, the fixtures extending from the panel should provide a minimum of interference with both customer movement throughout the display and between the products as displayed themselves. This is particularly true with shelving. What is desired is a simple means for attaching a shelf in a manner to resist displacement under normal conditions while, at the same time, being easily positionable. Ideally, such a bracket should also accommodate a variety of shelf sizes without the need for adjustment.
Several shelf brackets of relevance are known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,937, by M. N. Friedmann, shows a complex shelf bracket which is adjustable and is attached by screws to a specialized column in a back panel or the like. Such a bracket is costly to manufacture, must be adjusted each time it is used, and, what is more, it is extremely ugly. A vertical projection at the forward edge of the bracket is utilized to prevent the shelf from slipping off of the bracket.
MacDuff, in U.S. Pat. No. 883,323, shows a bracket usable only on softer materials such as wood since gripping of the shelf is accomplished by teeth on the inner surfaces which physically penetrate the shelf surface and embed themselves therein to hold the shelf in place.
The glass shelf bracket of U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,296, to Diack, physically grips the glass around the edges with clips at both the front and rear surfaces to prevent its movement.
Meyer, in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,008, shows a glass shelf bracket which grips the glass shelf from the sides by a longitudinal compressing force exerted by a bolt which extends the length of the glass shelf between the two brackets.
Wherefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a simple esthetically pleasing, secure itself bracket which can easily hold shelves of varying widths, lengths, and materials.